Reticella: a walk through the beginnings of Lacebayrose.org/AandS/handouts/reticella_rev.pdf ·...

Reticella: a walk through the beginnings of Lacewith Sabrina de la Bere

All Rights Reserved by Robin L. Berry 2004

Defining Reticella:The word is Italian and translates as “little net”or “meshstitch”. At its base, it is a form of cutwork where squares ofwoven linen are removed. The remaining threads form a base,or net, upon which the decorative stitches are placed. Reticellais primarily done with buttonhole stitch rather than runningstitcheds, darning stitches, or knotting for fillings.

Reticella, or Reticello, is the diminutive of “Rete”. Rosetteis used in some 16th C. pattern books to refer to the moregeometric star and “snowflake” pattern used for Reticella.In addition, some of the less geometric needlelaces with pro-jecting points and scallops were referred to as ‘merli” or“merletti”.

Reticella is thought to be an outgrowth of Punto Tagliato -cut linen work, or in french Pointe Coupe. It is is also com-monly viewed as the precourser for Punto in Aria - stitch inthe air.

The french term “Dentelle” is used generically to refer to alllace. Specifically it means “to the teeth” and refers to in-dented edges. Dentelle a l’ aiguille is needlelace and dentelleaux fuseaux is bobbin lace. These comprise the 2 main formsof lace. Reticella is a needlelace.

Needlelace initially had a linen ground from which areaswere removed. Then this ground was replaced with a cord-ing or thread which was used to define the shapes. The pat-tern is built up on this outline structure, whether from theinitial cloth, added threads or cording.

The main threads are tacked along the pattern lines. Initially

Design for Reticello From the Corona delle nobili e viruose aonne of Vecellio, Venice, 1592Ricci, Vol. II, No. 21, pg. 20.

the pattern was done on parchment paper. The paper is thenpinned to a hard and slightly rounded sewing pillow. This inturn is held on the workers knee or rested on a table.

The primary stitch is detached buttonhole. This is workedbetween the lines of the outlined structure. It may be loopedinto the piece above or next to it. The stitches may be con-tinuous creating a solid ground or varied to give a pattern.The thread may also be twisted or knotted to give variety.The filled patterns are linked by connecting threads whichare then oversewn in buttonhole.

A Bit of History :(ref. Ricci Vol I pg. 6-22, 119-138; Earnshaw, Dictionarypg. 145-6; Earnshaw, Fashion pg. 9-24)Both Ricci and Earnshaw view the Sforza inventory of 1493as probably the first mention of lace; any form of lace. How-ever, it is not until 1530 that there is a written mention in abook. This is in a pattern book, Punto Tagliato by MatioPagan, that mentions “rete” (a variant name on reticello).Another pattern book in 1548 mentions “punto in rede”.

The 1560 wardrobe accounts for Queen Elizabeth lists partletswith “de opera rete” and “de opera Rhet”. In the 1565 un-published inventory of the Castello d’Issogne in Val d’aosta,there are several mentions of what is most probably reticella.In Elizabeth’s 1586 inventory there is a record of cutworkfor a ruff “edged in good white lace”. Such edgings begin atthe start of the 16th C with narrow edgings on shirt collars,

(continued onpage 3)

Some Lace Pattern Books.50 were published between 1517 & 1599 of which 28 were Italian, 7 French, 4German (Lace, Bookking pg. 10):

Matio Pagan, Giardinetto novo di punti tagliati et gropposi per exercito eornamento delle donne, Venedig, 1542.**The 1st to mention cutwork.**Matio Pagan, Ornamento de le belle et virtudiose donne, Venice, 1543.Matio Pagan, Il spechio di pensieri della belle et virutdiose donne, Venice, 1544,1549.Matio Pagan, L’honesto essempio, Venice, 1550.Mathio Pagan, La gloria et l’honore de Ponti tagliati et Ponti in oere, Venice,1558.Giovanne Andrea Vavassore, Fior di gli essempli, Venice, 1545.Dominique de Sera, Le livre de lingerie, Paris 1584.

Vinciolo, Les singuiliers et mouveaux pourtraicts d’ouvrages de lingerie, Paris, 1587.**1st true Reticella patterns.**Vinciolo, Les singuliers et nouveaux pourtraicts servant de patrons a faire toutes de poinct coupe. Paris 1587.Claude Nourry, La fleur des patrones de lingerie, Lyon, 1533.Pierre de Sainte Lucie, Livre nouveau, dict patrons de lingerie, Lyon, 1530.Pierre de Saint Lucie, Patrons de Fiverfes Manieres, Lyon, 1533.Pierre de Sainte Lucie, S’enfuyent les parons de Messire Antoine Belin, Lyon, 1533.Sibmacher, Poinct coupe, Nuremberg, 1597.Isabeatta Catanea Parasole,Specchio delle virtuose donne, 1595.Isabeatta Catanea Parasole, Le studio delle virtuose dame dove si vedono bellissimi lavori de Punto in aria, retuella, demalia,Rome, 1597.Isabeatta Catanea Parasole,Pretiosa gemma delle virtuose donne, Rome 1598.Isabeatta Catanea Parasole, Stickereien u Spitzen, Berlin, 1616.Isabeatta Catanea Parasole, La corona delle nobili et virtuose donne, Rome, 1601.Pietro Paolo Tozzi, Ghirlnda di sei vaghi fiori, Padua, 1604.Giovanni Ostaus, La Vera perfettione del disengno, Venice, 1557, 1591.Cesare Vecellio, Corona delle nobili et virtuose donne, Venice, 1591, 1593.Giovanni Antonio Bindoni, Il Monte, Venice, 1557.Sessa Brothers, Le Pompe, Venice 1557, 1559.

R.M., Nuw Modelbuch, allerley Gattungen Dantelschnur..., Zurich, 1561.Dominico de Franceschi, Serena, Opera noua di recami, 1564.Jacques Foillet, Nouveaux pourtraicts de point coupe, 1598.

Ricci Vol II No. 112 - XVI century.Reticello rose with laurel crown inpunto in aria. Actual size (print is 2”sq.) Levier, Florence. pg. 128.


Ouurages de point couppe.Vinciolo - Singuliers, 1587

Websites of Interest:Digital Archive of Documents Related to Lace -- http://www.cs.arizona.edu/patterns/weaving/lace.htmlThe Lace Museum -- http://www.thelacemuseum.org/Lace Identification -- http://lace.lacefairy.com/ID/laceID.htmNeedlelace -- http://www.geocities.com/monstonitrus/a_and_s/needlelace/needlelace.html - originally published in TI, Issue #138,April 2001Antique Needlepoint Lace (private collection) -- http://www.marlamallett.com/l-needle.htmBasic Reticella (NeedleArts) -- http://www.needlearts.com/articles/article_8/article_8.html

Ricci Vol. I No. 113 - Cuff in pierced linen and reticello, Detail from Gozzadini Portrait - Portraits of the Gozzadinifamily by Lav. Fontana, 1584, Gozzadini, Bologna.


chemises, partlets and cuffs and grow into huge ruffs by the 3rd quarter of the 16th C.

Most of the early pattern books are for the various forms of embroidery - blackwork, voided work, surface embroidery, butfew books even mention the stitches or methods to be used for interpreting the patterns. There are a few early patternssuitable for interpretation as lacis - where a net is created from pulling and wrapping threads and then a weaving pattern is

used to fill the squares. You also see the same patterns repeated or reversed time and again by different publishers.

The name “Reticello” first appears in Vecellio’s 1591 book Corona. Vinciolo publishes patterns that are obviously forReticello. but in his Singuliers books of 1587, and its reprint of 1606, calls them “Pointe Couppe”.

While there are no Flemish pattern books of lace, it was produced in Flanders as well as Italy and France. Since there wereimport restrictions in England, some may also have been produced in England.

Reticella, as with other laces, was done alone as well as inconjunction with other forms of needlework and lace. There areexamples of borders with the same design done in embroidery and reticella (Ricci Vol. 1 No. 107). A number of linens havereticella, with curl stitch (outline stitch) and satin stitch (Ricci Vol. 1, No. 122,123, 124, 126, 127, 128, 130, 131, 132, 133,134, etc.). Bobbin lace was also frequently combined with reticella and appears both as insertions and edgings (Ricci Vol.1, No. 134, 142, 153, 169, 170, 171, etc.).

continued on page 5


Ricci Vol. 1 No.114-High Collar with insertion and edging of reticello. Portrait of Maria Capponi-Pecori. Uffizi, Florence.


Ricci Vol.1, No. 102 - XVI Century.Unfinished Reticello, executed on drawn

linen. Palermo Museum.

Bibliography75X Lace: Lace in the Rijksmuseum, Wardle,Patricia, Rijksmuseum, 2000, 90 400 9448 9.A Dictionary of Lace, Earnshaw, Pat, Dover,1984. 0-486-40482-X.Armenian Needlelace and Embroidery,Kasparian, Alice Odian, Emp Publishers, 1983,0-914440-65-9.Cut-Work Embroidery and How to Do It, Cave,Oenone, Dover, 1982, 0-486-24267-6.Drawn Fabric Embroidery, Leach, Agnes M., Do-ver, 2001, 0486-41809-X.Drawn Fabric Embroidery, Wark, Edna, Batsford,1979, 0 7134 1477 4.Drawn Thread Embroidery, McNeill, Moyra,Henry Holt and Company New York, 1989, 0-8050-1406-3.Drawn Thread Work 1st Series, De Dillmont Th.ed., DMC Library, Societe a ResponsabiliteLimitee Mulhouse.Drawn Thread Work 2nd Series, De Dillmont Th.ed., DMC Library, Societe a Responsabilitelimitee Mulhouse.Elizabethan Lace, Dye, Gillian, The ElvistonPress, 1995, 0 9522709 3 5.Hardanger Fundamentals Made Fancy,* Love,Janice, Love-N-Stitches, Athens GA, 1999.Hardanger: Basics and Beyond,* Love, Janice,self published, Athens, 1995.Hems, Edges and Fancy Borders, Altherr, Ilse,self.Hemstitching, Scoular, Marion, American Schoolof Needlework, 1999.History of Lace, Palliser, Mrs. Bury, Dover, 1984,0-486-24742-2.Italian Cut Work and Filet Lace: Variety BookNo. 2, Testa, Carmela, ed., 1926.Italian Lace Designs: 243 Classic Examples,Ricci, Elisa, Dover Publications Inc., New York,1993, 0-486-27588-4.La Broderie sur Lacis 1st Series, De DillmontTh. Ed., Bibliotheque DMC Mulhouse.Lace, Bath, Virginia Churchill, Penguin Books,1974, 0 14 046.378X.Lace, L’Aventurine Bookking InternationalParis,1995.Lace: A History , Levey, Santina M., V& A Mu-seum/W. S. Maney & Son Ltd., 1983, 0 90128615 X.Needle Lace: Techniques & Inspiration, Clark,Jill Nordfors, Hand Books Press, 1999, 0-9658248-5-3. continued page 6


Needle-Made Laces and Net Embroideries: Reticella WorkCarrickmacrosss Lace Princess Lace and Other TraditionalTechniques, Campbell, Preston Doris, Dover PublicationsInc.,New York, 1984, 0-486-24708-2.Needlelace, Earnshaw, Pat, Merehurst, 1991, 1 85391 1585.Needlelace: Designs and Techniques Classic and Contem-porary, Barley, Catherine, Batsford , 2002, 0 7134 8688 0.Old Italian Lace, Vol. 1 & II, Ricci, Elisa, WilliamHeinemann,1913.Openwork Embroidery, DMC Library, New Edition (Re-vised), de Dillmont ,Th. ed., DMC Library, Mulhouse, 1974.Patterns Embroidery: Early 16th Century, by Nourry, Claude& Pierre de Saincte Louie, Lacis, Berkeley, 1999, 1-891656-16-3.Punti a Giorno, Mani Di Fata ed.,I Lavori Femmininili DiMani di Fata Milan, 8-099999-802407.Punti a Giorno 2, Mani Di Fata ed.,I Lavori Femmininili DiMani di Fata Milan, 8-099999-802391.Punti a Giorno 3, Mani Di Fata ed., I Lavori Femmininili Di

Mani di Fata Milan, 8-099999-801103.Renaissance Patterns for Lace, Embroidery and Needlepoint:An unabridged facsimile of the “Singuliers et nouveauxpourtraicts” of 1587, Vinciolo, Frederico, Dover Publications,New York, 1971, 0-486-22438-4.Textiles: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Cavallo, AdolphS., Trustees of the the Museum, 1986, 0-914660-09-8.The Art of Drawn Work: The Metropolitan Art Series Vol 2-No. 1 March 1896, Kliot, Jules and Kaethe ed.., Lacis Publi-cations, Berkeley, 1989, 0-916896-29-3.The Finishing Touch: Lace in Portraits at Frederiksborg,Levey, Santina & Patricia Wardle, Fredericksborg Museum,1994, 8787237598.The Needle-Made Lace of Reticella, Kliot, Jules & Kaethe,Lacis, Berkeley, 1994, 0-916896-57-9.The Open Canvas: An Instructional Encyclopedia of Open-work Techniques (Pulled, Canvas, Needleweaving, Hem-stitching. Filet, Hardanger, Reticella & Hedebo), Ambuter,Carolyn, Workman Publishing New York, 1982, 0-89480-170-6.Threads of Lace: From Source to Sink, Earnshaw, Pat, Gorse

Publications,1989, 0-9513891-1-4.

* included as the author gives clearinstructions as to how to “fix” prob-lem that occur, such as cutting thewrong thread and weaving back.

Ricci, Vol 1. No. 162- Pillow Slip,Satin Stitch and reticello. Binney,

Florence.


Isabeatta Catanea Parasole, Stickereien u Spitzen, Berlin, 1616. - published by Ernst Wasmuth, Berlin 1891.


Ricci, Vol 1 No. 172 - Original pillow-slip of drawn thread, curl-stitch, and reticello on very fine transparentlinen. Bargagli, Florence.

Ricci no. 154 - Table cover with design in curl stitch and reticello. Tranquilli, Ascoli Piceno.


Stitches Used:Button Hole Stitch**

** drawing courtesy of Sharon B’shttp://home.iprimus.com.au/ijerry/sharonb/stitchdict/stitch/*** drawing courtesy of Classic Stitches.com

Detached Button Hole ***Come up through the material at A and down through thematerial at B (Fig. 1) making a horizonal straight stitchacross the area to be covered (for a firmer base work 2horizonal stitches). Do not pull the stitch too tightly. Bringthe needle out at C and buttonhole stitch closely over theloose thread without picking up any of the fabric (Fig. 2).Every following row of stitches is worked into the loops ofthe previous row. Work alternately from side to side.Shaping is creating by increasing or decreasing stitches atthe end of each row. -- ftom Classic Stitches.com

Button Hole Stitch - over bar ***

Picots: These very traditional additions are worked at the same time as the weaving is being accomplished. Weave to thecenter of the bar and insert the needle part way into the bar (6a). Bring the thread from the bar, under the back of theneedle and around the front (6b). Pull the needle through, and work with the picot until it lies firmly on the outside of thebar. Wrap that side one time, bringing the needle around the outside of the bar and into the center. Repeat for the otherside (6c) and complete the weaving of the bar (6d).Diagram and Description from Nordic Needle -- http://Nordicneedle.com/tips/har201_a.html

Woven Bars & Picots:


Ricci Vol 1 No. 158 - Table cover with reticello. Bobbinmade edging. Cave, Leghorn.

Enlarged portion below - class project:

Class Materials:32 ct. Irish Linen#12 DMC Pearl Cotton

#28 Tapestry Needle

Steps:READ Through all the Steps First!1. Draw a 2” x 2” square on your linen being sure toalign it with the linen threads. Draw lines every 1/2 inchwithin the square.2. Hoop your fabric.3. Using a double running stitch, outline the square 1thread out from the 2” line - over 2 threads.4. Repeat 2 above except 1 more thread out and be sureyour stitches are offset by one thread.5. Do a satin stitch all the way around, from the 2”square line out, covering the 2 lines of double running.At the corners you will be using the same inside cornerwhole repeatedly until you have completely covered thecorner.One satin stitch per thread - 1:3.6. Cut all the threads from the inside EXCEPT for 3threads where there is a 1/2” mark. You should now havea grid of 16 squares.7. Remove fabric from hoop. Place your pattern on the“pillow”. Cover with clear protector..

Hint: use clear self adhesive shelf liner. Cut a pieceslightly larger all the way around the pattern. Peel offbacking and place over pattern.

Tack or pin fabric in place at the corners. Then placesmall tacking stitches over each thread group - 1 or 2 per.Be careful not to distort the lines and do not tack in thecenter as it will interfer with connecting lines.

Hint: Starting and Stopping Threads: you can runthe thread end under a previously worked line. If youdon’t have a place to put the thread, as in the area has notbeen worked then you need to stitch over the thread endas you workthe line. Youcan also dothis to coveran end ofthread. Besure to use 5or 6 stitchesto secure thethread end.Plan whereyou will startand stop yourthreads. It isbetter to starta new thread

Original wasprobably 1 to 1.5”square & the flat

inset was probablylinen rather than thefilling stitch we willdo for the project.

Outlinefor Learning

Project2x2”


in a planned section than to run out of thread at an awk-ward moment.

8. Starting at A begin making button hole stitches along theA-B line covering the threads that you did not remove. Besure the bottom part of the stitch is toward the center of thepiece.9. When you reach the threads grouped at the 1” mark - #1,cast a thread across to the frame. Then begin working your

way back acrossto the A-B linedoing a figure“8” overcast-each part of thefigure over 2theads. . Whenyou reach the halfway point do apicot on eachside.

Hint: Thegeneral rule ofthumb is to workthe side trips as

you go. Sometimes as here, you cannot work the side tripon the A-B progress and there is nothing to use to hold thethread in place until you are on the C-D run.

10. Starting at C begin making buttonhole stitches alongthe C-D line as above. When you reach 5, cast a singlethread to 6 - this is known as a”bride”. Go under 2 threadsat 6 and move to 7. Go under 2 threads at 7 and go to 8.Go under 2 threads at 8 and go back to 5. Go under 2threads at 5. Continue your button hole over cast along theC-D line.

Hint: Much of Reticella is about tension. Making sureyou have adequate tension in the threads as they cross thearea. This is a balance of being aware that too loose makesthe final piece limp and too tight, pulls the bit out ofalignment.

11. When youget to #2 do thecasting, “8” andpicots, as withstep 9.12. Do E-F andG-H - doing theside trips asoutlined in Steps9 and 10.13. Cut andremove anythreads remain-

ing in the center square area.14. Cast a thread fromI-J and J-I. Repeat so that you have4 threads going back and forth. Overcast from I-J.15. Cast a thread from K-L and from L-K. Repeat so thatyou have 4 threads going back and forth. Overcast from K-L.16. Beginning at I, do Detached Buttonhole from I-L andL-I. Use the crossed threads to hold your return. Repeatlines until sufficient area is filled. Then continue on to nextsection. Be sure to align your rows and have the samenumber of rows in each section. Note that you will need toreduce the number of stitches in your rows as you proceedcloser to the center.17. Beginning at “a”, throw a thread to “b” and back to“a”. Then begin doing a buttonhole over cast along the a-broute. When you get to the cross threads, move to “c”.18. Cast a single thread around at “c” to make a circle.Wrap the casting thread once around the cross threads tohold the cast in place. When you return to “c” after makinga full circle, begin doing a button hole stitch over the castas you work your way around the circle.. Do a picot in thecenter of each section. When you complete the circlereturn to finish your a-b line.19. Beginning at “d”, throw a thread to “e” and back to“d”. Do a buttonhole over cast along the d-e route. Repeatfor f-g and h-i.

Hint: Steps 17-19 can be done as part of Step 16, if itworks in the flow of stitching.

CHALLENGE: Now that you have worked through thesteps and have feel for the method, try scaling the samepiece to the original size. The class materials will probablywork for 1.5” square, but you may need to go to finer linenand thread for 1” square.

Finishing Your Piece:

If you want to work a larger area you can make moresquares and either abut your frame from the first piece orreuse the apropriate sections. Perhaps you can repeat thepattern in another area of the linen. Another possibility isto do a series of smaller patterns in a corner or around thesquare you have done.

Since all such pieces had finished edges, consider eitherhemstitching the piece or doing a needlelace edging. Manypieces had an edging in colored or metal thread needlelace.

Some appropriate needlelace edgings might be:- buttonhole bars- button hole bars with picots- stacked buttonhole bars- woven points- picots cast onto the rolled hem

Whatever you do enjoy!


Ricci Vol. I No. 181 Reticelloinsertion. Chieti Exhibition, 1905.

RLB - note that some of the areas ofdetached buttonhole are open and

have a lacey look achieved by“skipping” stitches.

Ricci Vol. 1Squares, insertions and points.

No. 208 - Levier, FlorenceNo. 209, 210 - Ameri, Florence

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